Between the devil and the deep blue sea
by Namicchi
Summary: Kagami has to spend his summer with his parent's friend. He doesn't know how much these few weeks will change his life.


**Beta: **Lovely Di

**A/N: **Written for Amber (akapahuadottumblr). She is an angel who promised to do something for me if I write her a fic. I think a small fic like this one is a little too little for what she did, but I hope she will like it.

She wanted bottom!Kagami and here it is. Bottom!Kagami, lots of sex, confusion, duels and the sexiest threesome of all threesomes out there :3 She told me to surprise her and I hope I managed to do that.

You need to know that this story takes place in completely AU!world which means no basketball but there are going to be swords! At least for me this is a good deal ;)

Enjoy and happy AoKagaKise Day!

**Chapter One**

When Kagami's mother called him to her room, he knew he wasn't going to hear something nice. But surely she didn't learn that instead of spending yesterday's afternoon in the library as promised, he had gone for a horse trip with his teacher, Ms. Alex! She is the best rider in all of Seirin and Kagami loves racing with her, as she's the only one who can best him. He really wanted to study for his parents, but after a few hours letters became blurry so he decided to rest. The stable guys promised to keep quiet, yet Kagami knows they wouldn't lie to his parents if asked.

Dammit.

"Mom?" Kagami knocks on the door of the library and after hearing a quiet 'Come in, Taiga!', he walks into the room, wishing he listened to his bodyguard, Kise. He shouldn't ditch books for a few hours of freedom, no matter how much he hates them.

The small library that became his mother's office a long time ago is a beautiful place. The bookcases are ornate, made of dark wood and full of books in many languages. In front of the window decorated with deep green curtain stands an oaken desk with a towering, comfortable chair. As a kid he often snuck here just to sit on it. The golden pen – a present given to his mother from his father for their anniversary – lays recently used on a white envelope. Today was raining profusely, so when the candlestick-holding chandeliers radiate soft, dim lights, it makes the library look more like a picture from a fairy tale than a real room.

His mother stands up to greet him. She is a beautiful woman with long, red-hair and an oval face with big, blue eyes and a sweet smile. Dressed in her favorite dark-green dress, she looks very tired, yet smiles with sincerely happiness seeing her son.

"Taiga." She hugs him and the teenager thinks with fondness about the time when he was only at his mother's shoulder. Now she barely reaches his neck. "I'm sorry for calling you so suddenly when you were studying for your exams."

"Don't worry about it, mom. I prefer your company than books," says Taiga, mentally sighing with relief. He isn't going to get scolded for not studying yesterday. Good.

Kagami Taiga, a healthy young man at the age of eighteen with red-black hair is trying to get into a prestigious school in Touou. He didn't want to go there at first since he wanted to help his parents with their family business – race horse breeding, vineyard and finance – but his parents told him that he is going to manage family business for the rest of his life and he should study and have some fun. Hearing words "fun" and "study" in a one sentence almost made Taiga laugh, however he quickly learned that he just might. Touou Academy is a prestigious school that focuses on swordplay, horse riding, archery, martial arts and, surprisingly, how to properly run a family business. It is a school for families like Kagami: an old family who wants to keep the tradition of teaching its members sword fights, but also doesn't want them to spent all of their family's money and lose the land.

This is why Taiga agreed to go to that school. He's going to learn more about his favorite sword fights and about famous martial arts which went to Touou from the far, far countries? Hooray! Of course he has to pass an entrance exams which isn't so great. He needs to study despite it's summer and would love to be outside, swimming in the lake, going to summer festivals or having duels with his bodyguard.

Kise Ryouta, one of the best swordsmen Kagami has fought is Taiga's bodyguard and one of the few people he considers a true friend. He is only four years older than Taiga, not looking like a deadly weapon he is: blond hair, eyes in the shade of a good whiskey and a smile that make people's knees weak. He always smiles and tries to help... But it takes only a few bad words spoken about his "young master" for Kise to turn 180 degrees and force the unfortunate man to pray for his life.

"- Taiga? Taiga are you listening to me?" His mother lies her hands on her hips, furrowing her brows and Taiga kicks himself. His mother is just like Ms. Riko, his first teacher, when he was younger. It was best not to angry her.

"Sorry, Mom. Can you repeat?"

The woman sighs, brushing her hair back with a small sigh. The dark circles under her eyes makes her look as if she hasn't been sleeping for a week and Taiga feels a sharp pang of guilt for not listening.

"I said that your father needs to stay in Rakuzan a little longer." Something heavy drops into Kagami's stomach. Did something happen to his father? As if realizing his son's dark thoughts, Naru continues. "He was invited by by the Emperor to spend two weeks longer at his castle. Our horses once again won the Cup for Emperor." She smiles proudly, all lingering traces of antiquity gone in an instant.

Taiga mirrors her smile.

"So it's a reward, yes?" He relaxes in an instant, only then realizing he tensed. The late emperor of Rakuzan is an unstable man whose mood can change three times in a second and Taiga hates when his father has to go there alone. "But why did you call me, mom?"

"What? Can't I just spend some time with my Taiga-baby?" She chuckles at Taiga's terrified expression. "I know, I know, you don't want me to call you that. You are a grown tiger after all."

"Mom!" Gods, he hates when his parents make fun of his name.

"Sorry, sorry." The woman picks up the white envelope from the desk. "Do you remember how your father and I wanted to visit our friend in Touou?"

The red-haired teenager thinks for a moment, absently playing with a red button on his blouse's cuff. "I remember you mentioning something about it a few weeks ago... Your friend is an earl, right?" An old guy with a few gold mines. "And he invited you to spend some time in his manor?"

Naru nods, smiling. Taiga has a bad feeling about that smile. It says all of his summer plans are going straight to the rubbish bin.

"I called him and told him your father and I cannot visit him. But when I mentioned you're preparing for entrance exams to Touou Academy he invited you to stay there for the whole summer!"

"What?!" If the teenager was sitting, he would stand up now. Why is his mother smiling so brightly like it is a good idea? It isn't! Taiga wants to stay at home and visit all of his friends and enjoy time here before he leaves to Touou (if he gets accepted to the Academy of course). "I'm not going to spend my summer with some old pr-"

"Kagami Taiga!"

"- prehistoric man," finishes Taiga, cringing. His mother is a very tolerant woman and she can forgive a lot, but she hates swearing. "You can't do that!"

Naru sighs, rubbing her forehead and leaning against the desk.

"Listen, Taiga. Earl Aomine helped a lot with our interests in Touou and your father and I are grateful for that. He wants to help you with accommodating in Touou before the exams. It would be rude to turn him down."

"Not my business." Taiga folds him hands on his chest, being pissed more and more with every second, but knowing he cannot show it. He is an adult now, at least in the eyes of the law. He should behave like one. "I'll be studying anyway so does it matter where?"

For Taiga it sounds quite reasonable, but his mother shakes her head, covering a yawn. She is more tired than the teenager thought; managing the whole business without his father must be hard.

"Really, Taiga? And yesterday's horse trip was a part of your studying session?" Blue eyes pierces Taiga. He freezes. Shit. "You need to spend some time out of Seirin, honey, and 'no' isn't an answer."

Taiga's shoulders drops. He isn't going to win against his mother when she is determined.

"Fine," he growls, looking at the books to his right. He may be not a fan of reading, but he did spend hours in this office when he was younger, hiding from his tutor after a prank and the sight of those heavy volumes calms him a little. "I'll go there and have the worst summer in my whole life."

"Don't dramatize, Taiga. You're going with Kise, it won't be that bad." Naru walks to him again and gives him the envelope. "This is an invitation to the Earl's mansion. You're going in two days and..." She stops, biting her lip and shakes her head like she is fighting with herself. "No, it's better for you to see it."

"See what?" asks Taiga, taking the envelope. The letters are written in beautiful cursive; a shaking hand of an old man couldn't write them so probably the Earl's assistant wrote the text. "Mom?"

But the woman only smiles secretly.

"Nothing, nothing. Go to your room and start preparing for the journey. I know what you think about servants packing up your bags." Naru sits behind the desk, looking with a pained expression at the small mountain of documents in front of her.

"I just don't like when they touch my things." Taiga hesitates with going out. Sure, he is frustrated at his mother – and father too – but seeing his mother being so tired breaks the anger.

"I can help you with the work, mom," he proposes, taking a step towards her.

The woman only waves her hand at him.

"No, you don't have to, Taiga, I'm almost finished for today. But…" She paused, blue eyes shining mischievously. "I think I'd like to bake a cake later and I may need help."

The teenager's lips curl into a smile.

"A chocolate cake?" he asks slowly, forcing himself to not laugh.

His mother loves to bake after a hard day of work and he often helps her. It's their bonding time when both of them create sweet treats. Their master chief always leaves them alone, letting them talk and joke comfortably.

"Probably."

"Then I think I'll find someone to help you." Taiga flashes his mother a wide grin and she giggles, taking a sheet of paper from the top of the pile.

"Then I'll be waiting for that person in the kitchen right after dinner."

"Yes, ma'am."

They smile at each other one more time and Kagami leaves the library, closing the door quietly behind him, letting his mother work in peace. She is so tired... Maybe he should go to the kitchen and ask if dinner can be her favorite tofu?

Someone waits for him in the corridor and Kagami smiles upon seeing him.

"Young master." Kise bows a little. He smells like fresh air and is holding his coat with a heavy sword hanging from his belt. Something hot clenches Kagami's insides as usual when he sees Kise. "Did you finish talking with your mother?"

There is a small smirk on Kise's face and Taiga huffs.

"Don't look so smug, I didn't get scolded for yesterday." Kagami starts walking towards his room and Kise strides next to him, an innocent expression on his beautiful face. The red-head's stomach makes a flip at the sight.

"I wouldn't dream about you being scolded, young master." Kise fakes a polite tone, nodding to one of butlers who passed them.

Taiga nods too at the man's 'Good morning, young master', not even looking at him. Normally he would at least smile, but now he is too frustrated to do that.

"Yeah, right. Didn't you say yesterday '_You can go if you want to get scolded by your mother tomorrow'_?" Kagami looks at the blond from the corner of his vision and Kise shrugs.

"Well, you know how your mother values education."

"I know." Taiga sighs, a familiar needle of pain sticking into his heart. He isn't an educational type; he can defeat pretty much everyone in a duel, but in mathematics? No way. He was born to move, not to study but his mother is a very well-educated person. She is proud of him being so great swordsman, of helping people from villages when they ask about it, but he sometimes thinks she would like him to be a little bit smarter. "But we didn't talk about my yesterday's escape. She wants us to go to her friend in Touou for summer."

"I know, young master." Kise opens the door to Kagami's room, letting the red-head go first. "My lady talked about this this morning before I had to leave for the city."

Kagami sighs deeply, walking into the chamber.

His room is quite big with one big bookcase filled entirely with books on swordplay, which occupy one entire wall, a bed and a desk in front of the window – just like in his mother's library. Next to the bed is a door leading to his wardrobe. The walls are white with oaken paneling. The floor is cushioned with a soft white carpet and completed with a comfortable big pillow near the fireplace. He likes to sit there and sip hot chocolate when Kise tells him his stories. And what amazing stories he is able to tell!

Kise is from Kaijou and has been in Rakuzan and Shutoku; the only place where Kagami has been is Yosen, lying far away in cold mountains. Taiga likes Yosen; his "brother", Prince Himuro, lives here. It is wonderful to listen about the long beaches in Kaijou, majestic green valleys in Shutoku and jungles in Rakuzan. Kagami always wishes to go to these countries, to see everything what is worth seeing and what is not, too.

The red-head unfastens his belt with the sword and put it on a rack next to the desk. This sword is a work of art in itself – it's a long-sword forged from the best steel with the edges engraved with his family crest. The grip and scabbard is made from cherry wood with the symbols of Seirin: a crow sitting atop of a horse1. He got it for his eighteenth birthday and it is the most precious thing he owns.

After that Kagami sits on the bed, hiding his face in his hands. He understands his mother's reasoning, knows how big the chance is – Kagami's family isn't the biggest and the friendship with the earl has it's perks – but the whole summer? Seriously? Isn't it enough that he **has** to study? Once he starts the school year he won't be able to see his parents for whole ten months – if he spends his summer at Touou, it means the next time he will meet his parents will be after twelve months... Maybe he'll be able to come back home for a few days?

The bodyguard lingers in the door as if not knowing if he should retreat or not. Normally Kise doesn't have to follow Kagami around the mansion, but Taiga knows the man wants to stay so he could have someone to talk with. They're friends, after all even if Kagami sometimes wishes he could change it. But he can't. He is the only heir of his family; he should marry a noble woman, have kids, be a respected by everyone person. His parents don't pressure him into looking for a fiancee yet, but that doesn't mean they could accept him lusting after Kise.

Yes, lust. This isn't love, Kagami knows it. He just admires Kise's abilities, likes talking with him, observing the other man when he's training and laughing. He likes how Kise's hair shine in sunlight, how he always seems to know how to make Kagami's better...

So friends, that's it.

"Come here and close that stupid door," growls Kagami, trying not to take his frustration out on Kise.

Not like Kise would let him, his bodyguard or not.

The blond walks slowly to Kagami, his high knee-length boots not making any sound on the carpet. This lack of noise when Kise moves always makes Kagami think that the man might have experiences a lot more than what he lets on.

Kise stops at the end of the bed with his hands behinds his back a comforting smile decorating his lips.

"I'm sure it won't be that bad, Kagamicchi."Taiga has been trying to make Kise call him by his name when they're alone since they met, but the blond at first kept refusing with 'Young master is a young master'. Kagami's parents hired him three years ago, when Taiga was fifteen, because they were getting death threats and decided that their son needed a protection.

Kagami didn't feel good with being called a master by someone older by four years – and doesn't it speak volumes about Kise's abilities if he was equal to the best swordsmen in the country (who taught Kagami how to fight) by the age of nineteen? - but for Kise then he was just a noisy kid with a short temperament. His 'young master' wasn't spoken with respect at first but in a mocking voice, golden eyes looking at Kagami with disdain. He refused to fight with the red-head, saying his master wouldn't survive five seconds.

It's the biggest understatement of the decade to say they started on the wrong foot. But everything changed when six months after hiring Kise Kagami and he were attacked while coming back home from a village festival.

Kise ordered Kagami to stay behind while he was fighting and, gods, what it was a fight! The blond was unstoppable, cutting through their enemies like they weren't even the slightest dangerous. Yet Kagami didn't want to let Kise do everything. He joined the fight, injuring their opponents (he couldn't kill them, just couldn't) and covering Kise's back because although he was very rude to him he didn't have a single cold blood cell in him.

After the fight Kise, with blood staining the blue cuffs of his blouse and his face he petted Kagami's hair, smiling.

"So you aren't a wimp after all." The blond's voice was wary, but his eyes, although tired, were sharp and focused, a sword still firmly in his hand.

One glance behind Kise at the corpses on the ground made Kagami's stomach lurch and he vomited, bile burning his throat. He has never seen killed people before_; _during the big war years ago he was sick and didn't even leave his room with the curtains pulled. This... those lifeless bodies with their insides spilling open were too much for him.

Kise didn't laugh at his innocence; he merely held Kagami's hair up and after Kagami stopped vomiting he gave him a handkerchief and helped him get up. The whole time he was massaging Taiga's back in calming circles and it helped the red-head a lot.

"Let's go home, we need to talk with your father, master." Kagami could only nod at that.

That evening made Kise stop mocking the boy with his 'young master'. He started to call Taiga 'Kagamicchi' when they are alone which is, as he proudly stated, the nickname of respect. They even started having duels and Kagami was delighted – Kise's fighting style was based on copying his opponents's moves and it was hard, but immensely satisfying. The red-head wasn't used to such style and also getting his ass handed to him so easily. It took him a long while to actually start winning some of their spars. Yet, he wasn't happy because he knew Kise never showed him his true capabilities.

"I should start packing, huh?" Kagami lies on his back on the bed, looking at the ceiling. It's a nice ceiling: white, without any crack, with a big crystal chandelier.

"Look at things this way, Kagamicchi." The mattress sags a little and Kise leans to Kagami, his eyes sparkling. "Maybe you will find someone at Touou!" He wiggles his eyebrows suggestively.

"Kise!" groans Kagami, turning onto his stomach.

"C'mon, Kagamicchi!" Kise jumps on the bed like an overexcited puppy. "You haven't told me yet about that masked girl you kissed on the New Year Eve's ball!"

"I haven't because there is nothing to talk about!" Kagami feels a blushing creeping onto his cheeks and is glad Kise cannot see his face.

Taiga was invited to a ball in Yosen by Prince Himuro. Masks were required and no-one knew who was who before the midnight. It was just as fun as it sounded. Plus the food was delicious and Kagami danced with many beautifully dressed women, with a few staying afterwards for longer talks or another dance. However, it was a man dressed in a green robe with a golden mask symbolizing sun who captured his attention. Kagami didn't even think they could talk; there were simply too many people around that stranger for Taiga to have a chance.

To his surprise after coming back from the bathroom he was grabbed by the arm by no-one else but that stranger itself. Using the red-head confusion, the man pushed him against the wall, quickly pinning him to the cold stones with his body, holding his wrists tight.

"I saw you observing me the whole night," he purred.

Kagami's eyes widened. Did other people notice it too? He was sure he was careful, always turning his gaze away when someone looked at him – he didn't want to get caught staring at the other people.

The stranger smirked, his lips (his mask didn't cover his mouth – just like Kagami's) stretching in a lazy, seductive smile. He was a bit shorter than Taiga and the teenager knew he could get free if he wanted to.

The problem was he didn't.

The proximity of the other was making him nervous with the good feeling– it was warm and hard, he could feel the muscles hidden by the thin fabric of the robe. The stranger's palms were calloused like he had spent years at training and fighting with a sword. For some reason that thought made Kagami feel very hot.

He wet his lips, absently noticing how the man's gaze followed his tongue.

"So what if I was?" Kagami asked in a false bravado. Oh gods, was this really happening to him?

"Then I have something for you," replied the man in a low, sexy voice, stretching words a little.

The kiss was hard.

It's the first thing Kagami thinks every time the memory of that kiss comes to him. That kiss was completely different from those shy kisses he had shared with one servant a few months earlier after tasting too much of his father's vine. The man dominated him, but wasn't too rough nor did he try to pry Kagami's lips open with his tongue. He seemed to be satisfied with only licking them before biting the red-head's bottom lip, drawing a moan from him.

Kagami was shaking when the man backed away, disappearing as quickly as he showed up, leaving the teenager breathing fast and more pale than his white mask of a wolf. Taiga doesn't remember how he got back to the ballroom; he distantly remembered Kise's curious question about where had he been and then suddenly it was midnight and the guests had to take their masks off and he didn't find that man again.

"So, Kagamicchi? Was she pretty? Or maybe -"

"Leave me alone, you pervert!" snarls Kagami but without any heat in his voice. Kise laughs and the red-head looks at him, a diabolic thought forming in his mind. He smiles cunningly and the blond stops laughing in an instant. "Kise, I didn't know your love life sucks so much you're now interested in mine." The bodyguard's eyes narrow and his face darkens.

"I'm only afraid you are going to die as a virgin. If you want, I'll help you with your virginity." Kise's voice changes into almost a purr and Kagami gulps, mesmerized by these eyes boring into him. Is Kise proposing...? "I know a few nice ladies well suited for such task. They like me and can be discreet."

The young heir blushes brightly, reaching to the blond and hitting his shoulder playfully, a mixture of relief and anger at his own stupidity – there is no way Kise would ever think about taking Kagami into his bed; he treats Kagami like some kind of a younger brother– washing over him.

"If they like _you_ then there must be something wrong with them." Kagami resists the urge to poke his tongue out. Kise loves to make him embarrassed and talk about ways to have sex. Yet, Taiga learned to respond to his bodyguard's taunts without flushing... too much.

Kise snorts in a totally unattractive way and Kagami starts laughing. If only the blond's fangirls could see him now, they wouldn't think about him as highly as they do (the red-head ignores the fact that he is the heir and yet it's his bodyguard who attracts more attention – handsome and talented, isn't it too much?).

But before they can continue their childish banter they hear the ring signaling dinner. Kagami's stomach grumbles.

"Let's go, Kise. Mom will be waiting." Kagami stands up and Kise follows his example, his expression becoming professionally blank as usual when they have to interact with other people.

Not wanting to think about how Kise not smiling isn't something Kagami likes – seriously, it's a bad idea to fantasize about a guy who seems to sleep with different a woman every time he visits the city, he should finally stop thinking about Kise like _that_ – Kagami goes to the dining room, thinking that maybe there is still a shred of hope that his mother will change her mind.

He is only a little more aware than usual of the warmth radiating from the blonde walking behind him.

**Tbc**

1 – Kagami's sword is similar to this one: art-of-swords. Tumblr post/ 88799058463/ handmade-swords-the-watchman-sons-sword-maker


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